


Clara & Ten: A Visit to Camelot

by orphan_account



Series: Clara and Ten [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-04
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-04-12 23:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4498440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Clara ends up in Ten's Tardis, they visit Casanova, watch the 2220 Olympics, and accidentally invent fireworks. But best of all, Ten finds out Clara loves the stories of Merlin, Arthur and Camelot, and takes her to the real thing. Takes place just after The Day of the Doctor and during Merlin series 2.</p><p>Also, AU where Arthur has known about Merlin's magic since Episode 10 of series 1.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unexpected Companion

**Author's Note:**

> I'm thinking of making this part of a series where Ten and Clara keep traveling and visit other fictional universes. I've got Harry Potter down as a possible idea, and maybe even Carmilla (the web series), but apart from that, not sure. Feel free to give any ideas for possible crossovers.

The Doctor was standing by the TARDIS doors, watching a star burn it’s final moments away. He had recently tricked his older counterpart into telling him that he would one day visit Trenzalore. His grave. He didn’t quite know how to cope with that. Still, knowing him, he’d probably forget all about Trenzalore the instant he turned into Chinny boy. He turned back into the Tardis and the doors closed behind him. He leaned on the console, pondering what to do next.  
‘Maybe I’ll go do something simple. Just walk around London for a bit. No aliens, no danger, just a relaxing walk’ the Doctor thought. It was highly likely a Sontaran army would invade the instant he landed given his luck, but it was worth a try. He grabbed the controls and prepared to land.  
“Allons-y” he said. Then he pulled the lever.  
Then something went very wrong. The Tardis jerked all around, The Doctor was thrown off balance. He reached for the lever and pulled as hard as he could. The Tardis stopped crashing, and was floating in space, but it was wheezing badly.  
“Ah, what’s wrong? Eh?” He looked at the computer, but he was interrupted by a voice. A strangely familiar, and very angry voice.  
“Doctor, would you please explain- what the hell has happened?”  
It was Clara Oswald. She was in her dressing gown, and judging by her hair, she was in the middle of a shower. The Doctor recognised her instantly.  
“What?” was all he could say. How did Clara get on his ship? Maybe she made a mistake, but she should have noticed the difference. The Doctor ran towards Clara so fast Clara stumbled back a little.  
“What happened?” He asked. Clara froze. “From your point of view, what happened?” The Doctor asked again. A lot louder this time.  
“Uh, I got into the Tardis. Not this one, my one, your future one. I went to have a shower. Then the Tardis started acting erratic. And then I walked in here and now I’m in your Tardis. And you’re computer is asking for you.” Clara said as quickly as she could.  
The Doctor turned and looked at the computer.  
“Oh, that’s what happened.” the Doctor said.  
“What? What happened?” Clara asked.  
“Our two Tardises tried to land in the same spot. They nearly merged into one which would have been disastrous. We managed to separate them, but you obviously ended up in the wrong one.”  
“OK” Clara said. She was struggling to comprehend the first sentence the Doctor said. “So, how do you get me back?”  
“I can’t” the Doctor replied. “My timeline has been crossed too many times recently, and I would have to find the future me, which could take centuries.” the Doctor said. He then started working the controls.  
“So what, I’m stuck with you. No offense” Clara said.  
“I’m taking you home.” the Doctor said. He searched Clara’s home address.  
“Why? If it’s because you hardly know me, if future you can trust me, I’m sure you can.”  
“It’s not that.” the Doctor said quickly. He concentrated on the Tardis console, not looking at Clara.  
“Then, what is it?” Clara asked, becoming more aggravated at the Doctor’s silence.  
“Because every time I travel with people, they get hurt.” The Doctor shouted. He looked directly into Clara’s eyes, and Clara could see 900 years of pain on them. The Doctor stared at her for a good 5 seconds, his breath heavy with anger. He eventually calmed down enough for Clara to speak.  
“Even so, you need someone” Clara said quietly.  
“You don’t know that.” the Doctor said. He was being quiet too.  
“I’ve been in your timeline.” Clara said. The Doctor looked at her. “I’ve seen all your faces, your friends, your foes, your victories, your failures, the people you’ve saved, the people you’ve lost. And if there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you need someone to keep you in check.”  
The Doctor said nothing. He kept focused on the Tardis. Then, with one button, the Tardis landed. The Doctor stood up. Clara couldn't bring herself to say anything more. She walked out of the Tardis doors without another word. She walked to the door and reached the handle. When she turned back to look at the Tardis, it was still there. Then, the Doctor opened the door and looked out.  
“You know what, it would be mean to just leave you here. C’mon, you’re good enough for at least one trip.” the Doctor said, grinning like he hadn’t done for years. Clara didn’t say anything. She returned the grin and ran back into the Tardis.  
“So, where do you want to go?” the Doctor asked. He stood by the Tardis controls, eager for an answer.  
“How about Casanova?” Clara asked. The Doctor pulled on one lever, and the Tardis made that incredible noise.


	2. Campfire Stories

Merlin and Arthur were on opposite sides of a campfire. Merlin was lying down looking up at the sky. The stars were bright and the moon was full. But it was still nearly impossible to see. Arthur watched the fire crackle while sharpening his sword. A twig snapped in the distance. Arthur knew it was most likely a deer. But from the way Merlin jumped, you’d have thought it was a lion.  
“Don’t worry, Merlin. It isn’t anything dangerous.” he said, trying and failing to hide his laughter.  
“And what makes you sure of that?” Merlin asked.  
“If it was, it wouldn’t have made any noise” Arthur said.  
“That’s reassuring.” Merlin replied.  
“Hang on.” Arthur said. “Are you scared of the dark?”  
“Actually, I’m scared of animals that can kill me if I turn my back for too long” Merlin retorted. He kept staring at the sky, oblivious to Arthur's childish grin.  
“You know what, this reminds me of my old home.” Merlin said. “Me and my friends would stay out all night and find some sticks and try and find out who would be the best knight out of all of us.”  
“I bet you lost” Arthur said.  
“More than I would care to admit.” Merlin said. “Then we’d make a campfire and tell scary stories. The one who ran home first was the loser.”  
“Sounds fun.” Arthur said.  
“Yeah, it was.” Merlin said. Then silence fell. Arthur finished sharpening his sword. And he lied down to look at the stars with Merlin.  
“Did you ever hear the story of the Time Lords?” Arthur asked. He couldn’t cope with the silence anymore. Merlin was suspicious, Arthur wasn’t one for stories.  
“No” Merlin said.  
“It’s a pretty popular story in Camelot.” Arthur said. “Long ago, on a world so far from our own. there lived a civilisation home to the Time Lords. The Time Lords were feared and respected across the stars. They could live for thousands of years, they could walk through time as easily as you or I can walk through these woods. Some say every time they die, they come back to life in a brand new body. They could watch civilisations rise and fall, and entire wars would play out as they watched. But they never interfered. They always observed, but even when lives were at stake, the Time Lords would do nothing. All except for one. He was called the Doctor. He travelled everywhere and anywhere, saving anyone he could. No one knows who he is, but everyone knows that he travels in a box as blue as the night sky. When he arrives, the air sings and the wind howls. And wherever he goes, the monsters run for their lives.”  
When he finished, the silence returned. Merlin was awestruck. He had no idea Arthur could be so poetic.  
“And if you tell anyone I just told you a bedtime story, I’ll have you flogged for an entire month.” Arthur threatened. Then he turned over to get sleep. Merlin sighed. That was more like Arthur. Then he followed suite. Before they could relax, they heard the strangest of noises. The wind picked up suddenly. Merlin was the first to notice.  
“Arthur?” he said. Arthur had heard it too. He was looking towards the source of the noise. Merlin and Arthur stood up to get a closer look. Then, they saw a box appear out of nowhere. It was as blue as the night sky.


	3. The Great Time War

The Doctor and Clara were running. Travelling through time and space seemed to involve more running than you’d expect. They ran inside the Tardis and closed the door.  
“Did we invent the fireworks a decade early?” Clara asked. She was still gasping for air.  
“I think we did. ” the Doctor replied. Then they laughed. The Doctor took off his trenchcoat and went back to the controls. “So, where to now? Oh, and remind me to give Casanova his chicken back”  
Clara stopped to think. Where on earth could they go? Then she remembered another of her favourite stories.  
“Promise you won’t laugh?” she asked.  
“Cross my hearts” the Doctor said.  
“Camelot” she said, glowing with childlike glee.  
“Camelot?” the Doctor asked.  
“Yes. I’ve always loved those stories. Arthur and Guinevere, the Sword in the Stone.” Clara said.  
“OK” the Doctor said.  
“Really?” Clara asked. She thought he’d try and tell her that none of that was real.  
“Yeah, why not? But, if we do by chance meet Arthur, let’s try and avoid affecting history.” he said.  
“Oh yeah, I know that.” Clara said.  
The Doctor pulled a few levers and pressed a few buttons and the Tardis landed without a problem. The Doctor put on his trenchcoat and sorted his tie.  
“Shall we?” He asked. He then opened the doors to a forest in the middle of the night. And to his right was a knight and his servant. And they were shocked to say the least.  
“Hello. I’m the Doctor.” he said. “Nice to meet you.”  
Arthur said nothing. He just looked at the Doctor. He looked all around him and then his box. Merlin had never seen him like this. It was rather amusing.  
“You’re real” was all he could say. “You’re actually real. I thought you were just a legend.”  
“Am I a legend? Neat.” the Doctor said. Then he noticed Clara staring at Arthur like he was mad. “Oh, this is Clara Oswald. My…. companion”  
“Hi” she said.  
“Arthur Pendragon” Arthur said. “Nice to meet you.”  
Clara froze.  
“Arthur?” she asked. Then, very suddenly, she turned as giddy as a schoolgirl. “Oh my.. Um, pleasure to meet you too.” She barely managed to contain her obvious excitement. Arthur didn’t seem to mind.  
“Uh, who’s your friend?” the Doctor asked.  
“Oh, this is Merlin.” Arthur replied  
Merlin waved slightly. The Doctor and Clara waved back. Clara was confused. He was a lot younger than the Merlin Clara had imagined. But she wasn’t complaining.  
“We were looking for Camelot. I’m guessing you know where it is.” the Doctor said.  
“It’s about 1 day's walk that way.” He pointed the west. “You can tag along if you want.”  
“Good idea.” the Doctor replied. “You do know your fire is going out, don't you?”  
“Don’t worry about that.” Merlin said, He turned and raised his hand. “lieuas sta”  
His eyes glowed gold and the fire rose again. Clara tried to contain her excitement yet again, while the Doctor looked confused. It was possible for some species to channel psychic energy to create ‘magic’ but humans shouldn’t be able to. Before he could give it any more thought, Arthur slapped Merlin on the back of the head.  
“What part of ‘it’s a secret’ don’t you understand?!” he asked furiously.  
“These two just appeared out of thin air in a box” Merlin replied, rubbing where Arthur had slapped him. “I don’t think we need to worry about them”  
“Oh, don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.” the Doctor said.  
“Definitely not.” Clara added.  
After a second of silence, they all sat by the fire and told stories. Arthur and Merlin were fascinated by the Doctor’s stories of the world’s he’d seen, while Clara enjoyed Arthur’s stories of adventure and monsters immensely. About an hour later, only Arthur and the Doctor were awake. Arthur warmed his hands while the Doctor sat and stared into the distance.  
“What happened to your people? The Time Lords, I mean.” Arthur said.  
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you” the Doctor replied, trying to avoid the question.  
“My servant can make food appear out of thin air, and you just arrived in a blue box. I’ll believe pretty much anything.” Arthur replied.  
The Doctor wasn’t getting out of this without a good answer. He looked into the fire.  
“There was a war.” the Doctor said. He never took his eyes off the fire as he spoke. “The Great Time War. My people against the Daleks in a war over the whole of creation. Thousands of worlds were caught in the crossfire. I had to stop it. So, I stole a weapon. The Time Lords, they created thousands of weapons, but there was one even they feared. The Moment. I stole it and I took it to my old home. Then I discovered why the Time Lords feared to use it. It had grown a mind of it’s own, a conscience. And it showed me what would happen if I used it against the Daleks. My own people would die with them. I had to make a choice. Let of all of creation burn, or burn my own people.”  
Arthur was silent. He knew what it felt like to be a warrior. There’s always the times where you doubt your own morality, where you do things you aren’t proud of. But this was beyond him. He couldn't imagine destroying his own people like that.  
“Get some sleep. We’ll reach Camelot tomorrow.” Arthur said.  
The Doctor didn’t go to sleep. He kept staring into the fire.  
“But you didn’t do it.” said Clara. She was never truly asleep. “You went back and you fixed it. You saved them.”  
“And I spent six years thinking I did it.” the Doctor replied. “And god knows I was close. If it weren’t for you, I would have gone through with it.”  
Then, the Doctor put out the fire and everyone finally got some sleep.


	4. A Walk through the Woods

Arthur was the first to wake up. He always was. It was about 9 in the morning, judging by the sun. He woke the others up and lead the way. Clara ran up to join him, while the Doctor and Merlin paced alongside each other. They walked in silence for a while. Clara and Arthur walked further and further ahead, but the Doctor and Merlin kept to the same comfortable pace. Clara, on the other hand, was walking as fast as she could, trying to reach Camelot as soon as possible. It was Arthur who spoke first.  
“So, are you a… Time Lady?” he asked. He didn’t what to call a female Time Lord.  
“Oh, no. I’m human.” Clara replied. “The Doctor likes to have someone with him when he travels.”  
Meanwhile, the Doctor had a question of his own.  
“So, how long have you been able to use magic?” he asked to Merlin.  
“Ever since I was about 3 years old. Why? Do you know what gave me this?” he asked.  
“It’s possible to harness psychic energy to manipulate the world around you. But human’s shouldn’t have that level of willpower. If you could do it ever since you were young, then something makes you very special indeed. And can you hear something?” the Doctor said.  
There was a very strange humming sound. None of them had noticed it until the Doctor had pointed it out. They all went towards the source of the noise. Merlin saw it first.  
“Over here.” he called. “It’s some sort of ball.”  
The Doctor took a closer look. He used his sonic screwdriver to scan it.  
“Is it a weapon?” Clara asked. She didn’t know what to expect anymore.  
“No, it’s some sort of messenger.” the Doctor corrected. “Let’s see if we can get it to talk.” He twisted the top side of the ball and it sprung to life. It hovered while the others looked at it. It scanned them one at a time before it landed on Arthur. It moved closer towards him. He jumped back a little.  
“You are Arthur Pendragon. Knight of Camelot.” it said. It had a very cold and robotic voice. “Please make note of this message.” Then another voice came out of it. The voice of an old man. “Our ship is going down. Whoever finds this message, please tell my family I’m sorry. For everything.”  
Then it turned off and fell to the ground. The group stood there for a while, Arthur more shocked than most.  
“Why did it talk to me?” Arthur said.  
“It’s a messenger. It’s meant to deliver it’s message to the first figure of authority it could find.” the Doctor answered. “I suggest we keep this between ourselves.” he added.  
The others nodded, and they continued on their way. They were all quiet. They walked along a river, which calmed them and made them a bit more cheerful. Then they saw what they were looking for. Camelot, in all her glory, standing tall enough for the whole world to see.


	5. First Visit to Camelot

“Doctor?” Clara said, clearly in absolute awe.  
“Yeah?” he asked back.  
“That’s Camelot.” she said.  
“I know.” the Doctor replied, clearly in as much awe as she was. They hugged and laughed and Clara cheered. Arthur had never felt prouder to be a prince in Camelot in all his life.  
“Well, come on. Let’s have a closer look.” the Doctor said. He pulled Clara along and Arthur and Merlin followed suite. They reached the front gates in no time. They took their time glancing at every street shop, every tavern, every blacksmith. Arthur and Merlin simply stood back and let the Doctor and Clara soak it all in. Eventually, they reached the castle. Camelot didn’t just live up to Clara’s expectations, it exceeded them by miles. However, their time of wonder was interrupted by a voice.  
“Merlin.” the voice said. “Come with me. There’s been another attack.”  
Merlin didn’t say anything. He simply followed the man. The Doctor followed closely behind. Arthur and Clara soon followed as well.  
“What do you mean, another attack?” the Doctor asked.  
“Who are you?” the man asked. As he stopped, the group stopped as well.  
“I’m the Doctor.” the Doctor replied.  
The man held out his hand. The Doctor shook it eagerly.  
“I’m Gaius, the court physician. It’s an honor to meet you.”  
“You’re a physician.” the Doctor asked. Gaius nodded. “Good, I like physicians. Anyway, what were you saying about an attack?”  
“It’s easier if I show you” he said.  
Gaius led the way yet again. He didn’t speak until they entered his room.  
“There have been 7 reported attacks in the last month alone. Men have gone into the forests near the outline villages and their bodies are found later with fatal injuries.”  
“Of what sort?” the Doctor asked.  
“Bruises, broken bones, you name it.” Gaius replied.  
The Doctor took a closer look at the body.  
“Couldn’t it just be a person in the woods?” Clara asked.  
“I wish that were true, my lady” Gaius replied heavily. “The injuries are far more severe than any man can cause without the use of a weapon, and none of the injuries have suggested any weapons were used.”  
“And none of them have suffered injuries that would be caused by any sort of animal. Normal or magical.” Merlin added.  
“We’ve sent men out to search the forests, but we haven't found anything yet.” Arthur added.  
The Doctor stood up and pondered. He didn’t know what could have caused this. There were no distinguishing marks of any kind.  
“I’ll speak to my father about finding accommodations for you both.” Arthur said, then he walked out of the room. The Doctor sat down while Clara took a closer look at the body. Merlin lied down on Gaius’s bed and Gaius himself was putting together another remedy. After a long while, someone entered the room. He was tall and wearing a crown. It was the King.  
“Is it true?” he said. “What my son said? Are you the Doctor?”  
He was looking at the Doctor like he couldn’t believe he was standing in front of him.  
“Yes, that’s me. The Doctor.” the Doctor replied.  
The King said nothing. Then he hugged the Doctor as hard as he could. The Doctor, though shocked, hugged back.  
“It is a tremendous honor to meet you, Doctor.” he said. “I am Uther Pendragon.”  
“A pleasure to meet you.” the Doctor replied. Then Uther turned to Clara.  
“And who is this?” Uther asked.  
“Clara Oswald. A pleasure to meet you, sire.” Clara responded. She extended her hand. Uther took it.  
“The pleasure is all mine” he said, then he kissed the back of her hand. Clara smiled in response. Uther turned back to the Doctor.  
“I’ve heard that you’re intending to stay for a few days.” he asked.  
“Well, it takes a lot more than a day to see all of this place.” the Doctor said. He turned back to the body. “How long has this been happening?” he asked, his tone much more serious.  
“A few months now. At first it was nothing, but as the villagers have grown more curious, the victims have become more common. I fear whatever it is may turn its sights on the city.” Uther said. Then he turned to exit the room.  
“Merlin, could you find the Doctor and Clara a room?” Arthur said.  
Merlin had been lying there watching everything unfold. He thought everyone had forgotten he existed.  
“Yes, sire.” he responded. He walked out of the room, and the Doctor and Clara followed closely. Merlin eventually found a good room. It had two beds, a good view of the city, and a fireplace.  
“If you need anything, just shout. I’ll be there.”


	6. Doctors and Dragons

“......Doctor……Doctor…....Doctor….”  
It was midnight. The full moon gave Camelot an ominous blue look. The Doctor was still wide awake, while Clara slept on the bed. He was looking out the window, watching the patrol go back and forth and the birds fly past. He even saw Merlin and Arthur have some sort of argument. That was when he heard the voice. It was coming from deep within the city. The Doctor didn’t hesitate. He put on his trenchcoat and followed it. It lead him to a staircase which brought him down far beneath the castle. He found himself in a very large cave. The voice had stopped. The Doctor’s torch couldn’t illuminate much. He considered calling the voice, but that would risk getting the attention of the guards. But the Doctor was not afraid of a few guards. And after pacing for a good few minutes, his curiosity got the better of him.  
“Hello?” he called at the top of his voice.  
At first, there was nothing. Then suddenly, a gust of wind rushed towards him. The whooshing of wings came from above him and he looked for the source of the noise. It was a dragon. It glowed like a candle, and it flew with elegance and grace as it perched itself in front of the Doctor. It looked at him, and the Doctor looked right back in absolute awe.  
“Oh, you are incredible.” the Doctor said.  
The dragon didn’t seem to listen.  
“Never in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined seeing a Time Lord with my own eyes.” it said. It’s voice filled the room.  
“You know of my people?” the Doctor asked.  
“The Time Lords have been a legend of this world for longer than you know.” the dragon replied.  
The Doctor took a closer look at the dragon. He noticed a chain locked on the dragon’s leg.  
“Why are you chained up?” the Doctor said.  
“What happened to the Time Lords?” the dragon retorted.  
“You first.” the Doctor said.  
The dragon was clearly shocked that the Doctor stood his ground against such a large and powerful creature.  
“There were once thousands of my kind. Flying through the air, living in peace with the world. We had no quarrel with humans, and they had no quarrel with us. But then came the Great Purge. Uther's queen died while giving birth to Arthur. Uther could not take it. He blamed her death on witchcraft. The result was the extermination of any wizard, witch or magical creature in Camelot. Uther then turned his sights on my kind. He killed every dragon. All except for me, who he chose to use as an example. I have been locked in here ever since.”  
The Doctor was stunned. He didn’t expect a man who was so kind to him and to Clara, who seemed to want nothing more than to protect his people, could be a mass murderer.  
“Why did you call me?” the Doctor asked.  
“You are the last of the Time Lords. I, the last dragon. And we have more in common than that. I called you here to ask you to free me.”  
The room fell silent. The dragon stared at the Doctor endlessly. The Doctor didn’t flinch. He just stared right back.  
“No.” he said coldly.  
“Doctor, you must free me.” the dragon replied, sounding desperate.  
“No, I don’t.” the Doctor retorted, with the same cold voice  
“You will free me!!”  
“No.”  
“Why?”  
“Because I know what it feels like to be the last of your kind. I know the anger that gets inside you and never lets go.” the Doctor shouted. His voice echoed throughout the cave. “And it’s clear to me you let that anger consume you a long time ago.”  
The cave became silent. The dragon stared at the Doctor, and the Doctor stared right back. When the Doctor turned to leave, the dragon spoke.  
“If you will not free me, than head my words.” the dragon said. The Doctor stopped. He sighed, and then turned back to face the dragon.  
“Uther Pendragon is a tyrant, nothing more. He watched thousands of my kind perish without a second thought.”  
“Right, right, if there a point to all this?” the Doctor interrupted.  
“Such a lack of patience for such an old man.” the dragon replied. “Arthur is different. He is the Once and Future King. The one who will unite the land of Albion.”  
“Good god, I hate prophecies.” the Doctor said. He was becoming more annoyed by the second. The awe of seeing a live dragon was wearing out it’s welcome.  
“But he faces many threats. And Merlin is the one who will protect him.” the dragon finished.  
“Right. I’m glad you brought him up. How can he do that? Hell, how can any human have ‘magic’?” the Doctor asked. “Human beings should not have that sort of power.”  
“You’re the Time Lord, you tell me.” the dragon replied, smiling with arrogance. The Doctor said nothing. “Some things in this world cannot be explained. Even by a man of your stature.”  
The Doctor, by now tired of listening to the dragon, stormed off up the stairs. Eventually, he made it back to his room. Clara was still asleep. After a quick look at the stars, the Doctor lied down beside her in his clothes. He pondered the dragon's words for a moment. Eventually, he put it behind him and went to sleep.


	7. A Startling Discovery

It was 9:00 when the Doctor woke up. He could hear the birds singing in the distance. It wasn’t until he tried to move that he realized that Clara was lying with her hand around his chest. She curled up to him like a cat.  
“Uh… Clara?” the Doctor said awkwardly. He poked Clara on the top of her head, which woke her up. It took her a few moments to realize where she was. When she did, she quickly got up off the bed.  
“Oh, sorry, uh… that was not something I planned on doing.” Clara said. She felt extremely awkward, and the following silence didn’t help. Luckily, it was broken by a young woman walking through their door. She had light dark skin, and wore a common but practical dress.  
“Good morning, I’m here in case you need any help with anything. Sorry for being blunt, but are you the Doctor?” she said very quickly. She was clearly here to see him.  
“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you.” the Doctor replied. He extended his hand, and the girl shook it eagerly.  
“Just once, I’d like to hear someone say ‘Are you Clara Oswald?’” Clara whispered to herself.  
“Sorry about that.” the girl said, clearly realizing she’d left Clara out. “It’s just your friend is very, uh, eye catching.” she said. Eye-catching was by far the cleanest way of saying ‘you’re hot’ Clara had ever heard.  
“Really?” Clara asked. She took another look at the Doctor. “I suppose he is. Though, he is a bit skinny for my taste. I’ve seen twigs with more weight on them.”  
Both Clara and the girl laughed. The Doctor didn’t seem to enjoy where the conversation was going.  
“Right then, I’m going to check with Gaius. You two feel free to talk about flowers and dresses and boys by yourselves.” he said, promptly walking out of the room.  
“Don't worry, he isn't always like that.” Clara said, trying to make sure the girl wasn’t getting too bad a vibe of them. “And what’s your name? You didn’t say.” She added.  
“My name is Guinevere. But most people call me Gwen.” she answered.  
So this was Lady Guinevere. Though, she didn’t seem to be a lady yet. Better make sure I won't spoil that, Clara thought to herself.  
“Was there anything else you needed, my lady?” Guinevere asked.  
“Yes, could you tell me where Arthur’s room is?” Clara replied.

Merlin was scrubbing the floor. He had been doing so for the last half hour. His hands were starting to tire from it. Luckily, he didn’t have much of the floor left. It was just as he was scrubbing near the door that someone walked in. He looked up to see Clara. She looked especially attractive from Merlin’s angle. Clara seemed to notice Merlin’s admiring stare.  
“Hey, keep your eyes focused on your work.” she said, her inner schoolteacher coming out.  
“Sorry.” Merlin apologized. He promptly returned to work, as Clara looked around Arthur’s room. No more than a minute later, Arthur walked in with a crossbow.  
“You still scrubbing? I thought you’d have finished it by now.” he said.  
“Well, maybe if you didn’t make your room such a mess, I wouldn’t have to take so long.” Merlin replied.  
Clara smirked. Arthur and Merlin, great legends that would live on for generations, and they turn out to be a bickering couple.  
“You think this is my fault?” Arthur asked.  
“Well, this isn’t my room, is it?” Merlin replied.  
“No, I dread to imagine what your room looks like.” Arthur sassed back.  
Clara cleared her throat. Arthur turned and smiled charmingly, trying to hide his embarrassment.  
“Clara.” he started. “I do apologize. My servant is good at very few things, and his job isn’t one of them.”  
He put his crossbow on the table and removed his shirt. Clara tried to avoid staring, but it was very tricky, especially since Arthur seemed to want her to stare.  
“Did Guinevere wake you?” he asked.  
“Sort off. Did you send her?” Clara asked.  
“Of course. I wanted to make sure you were treated by the finest of Camelot.” Arthur replied. He got undressed behind the changing curtain, much Clara’s combined relief and annoyance.  
“She is one of the finest.” Clara said. “And very pretty.”  
“Yes she is, isn’t she?” Arthur said, not really thinking about what he was saying.  
“So you agree, you think she’s pretty?” Clara asked cunningly.  
Arthur stepped out from the changing curtain. He was now wearing a dark blue shirt. It looked rather fetching on him. But he himself looked confused.  
“No.” he said. “Yes, no, uh. I think she’s pretty as serving girls go, not that servants- serving girls aren’t pretty but-” he said, clearly regretting every word that popped out of his mouth. Clara caught Merlin smirking. “She’s pretty.”  
Clara walked over to Merlin.  
“He’s in denial, isn’t he?” she whispered.  
“More than any man I have ever seen.” Merlin said.  
At this point, a knight walked through the door. Merlin and Arthur recognized him as Sir Leon.  
“Sire, the King requests your presence in the courtroom.” Leon asked.  
“What is it?” Arthur asked, suddenly much more serious.  
“It’s about the attacks in the outline villages.” he added.  
Arthur quickly followed Leon, while Merlin and Clara followed closely. They reached the courtroom quickly. Clara saw several people standing behind Uther’s throne, and a few standing in two lines, each on opposite sides of the throne. She saw the Doctor, and went to join him. Arthur stood next to his father by the throne.  
“What’s going on?” Clara asked.  
“One of the knights on patrol in the forests has come back.” the Doctor said.  
The knight walked into the room at this moment. He was a middle aged man. He had a small wound on his left cheek, and his left hand was shaking slightly.  
“I was on patrol with the rest of my knights.” the man began. “It was getting dark, so we were just finishing up. One of my men found a cave. We thought whoever was killing those people might be using it as a hideout, so we went to look. It was a maze. We could barely make our way with the sun still out. It was when the sun went down when it happened. One of the knights screamed, and we rushed to his aid. And in our panic, I saw that the rest of the knights vanished. I ran for the outside. I didn’t stop running until I got back to the village.” he finished.  
The room fell silent. Whispers soon followed, but Uther silenced them  
“Now we know where this thing resides.” Uther said. “Did any of the other knights return?”  
“I waited until the morning. None of them returned.” he said.  
“Did you see anything in the cave? Supplies, food, weapons, anything?”  
“No, there was nothing but a statue.” the knight replied.  
The word statue seemed to have alerted the Doctor. Clara saw him tense up. He looked scared.  
“Hang on, you said statute. What statue?” the Doctor asked.  
“It was dark, I couldn’t make it out entirely, but it was a statue.”  
“What kind of statue, what did it look like?” the Doctor continued. He was started to scare Clara. The Doctor wasn’t like this. He sounded worried.  
“Uh… it was a woman with wings, if I recall correctly.” the knight replied.  
The doctor froze. He stood in place. No one knew what to say.  
“Take the knight to his quarters. Make sure he is looked after.” Uther said.  
The knight left the room, a guard followed. When the doors closed, Uther turned to the Doctor, still seated in his throne.  
“What is it? Do you know what’s in the forests?” Uther asked.  
“Doctor?” Clara asked, slowly walking towards him. “Are you OK?”  
The Doctor came to his senses. He looked back to the king.  
“Yes, I hope more than anything I'm wrong, but yes. I know what’s in the forests. It’s an Angel. A Weeping Angel.”


	8. An Angel in Camelot

Most of the people didn’t react to these words at all. Only Gaius had any real reaction, he looked as worried as the Doctor did.  
“You’re sure?” he asked. He seemed to want the Doctor to say no.  
“Yes.” he replied.  
“You know of this Angel, Gaius?” Uther asked.  
“Only in legend, sire.” Gaius said. “They’re mostly known as the Lonely Assassins. It is said that all creatures, no matter how powerful, or how deadly, fear the Angel and it’s power. Even the greatest of High Priestesses dared not to face an Angel.”  
“High Priestess?” Clara asked.  
“A powerful sorceress in charge of the Old Religion.” Gaius answered.  
“If they feared this creature, it would be wise to kill this creature now.” Uther suggested.  
“You can’t. Nothing can.” the Doctor said.  
“You seem to know what these creatures are.” Arthur asked.  
The Doctor stopped. Trying to dumb explanations down for humans from the 21st Century was difficult enough.  
“The universe is old. Very old. Older than you can imagine.” The Doctor started. Everyone in the room held onto every word. “And in that time, countless species have roamed it, and none as old as the Angels. They are nearly as old as the universe itself. And they’ve survived for so long because they have the perfect defense mechanism. They don’t exist when they’re seen. The moment they are seen by any living creature.” the Doctor snapped his fingers. Most people in the room jumped. “They freeze. They turn into rock. They don’t have any choice, it’s built into them like instinct. In the sight of anything, they just turn to stone. Have you ever tried killing a stone?” the Doctor finished. Everyone in the room was in awe. But they were also looking very scared. What if a creature like this attacked Camelot?  
“But, a stone can’t kill you, can it?” Arthur asked.  
“Of course it can’t.” the Doctor replied. Arthur smiled. “But what if you turn your head? Or blink? Then yes it can. And believe me, they are fast.” he finished. Arthur stopped smiling.  
“There has to be something we can do.” Uther said, sounding desperate.  
Everyone in the room fell silent again, desperately thinking. Even the Doctor was having trouble coming up with ideas.  
“There’s just one thing I don’t get.” the Doctor said to himself, breaking the silence. “Why did it attack those people the way it did? Angels don’t just kill people, they send you back in time before you were born. This creates a paradox in time, which creates energy, which the Angels feed off. Why would it just kill those people like that?”  
The silence came back. Then, barely a second later, it was broken, this time by Arthur.  
“Bait.” Arthur said. Everyone turned to him. “Imagine you’re a hunter living in the forest. And your main food source is people. People live all around the forest, but they don’t enter it unless they have to. Travelers, tradesmen, bandits, they all use the forest, but let’s say they aren’t enough. How do you invite more prey in? You give them reason to.”  
“Of course.” the Doctor said. “These Angels, they are smart, very smart. They know if they make people think there is a murderer or a creature in the forest, more people will go in to try and kill it.”  
“So, if we cut of it’s food supply, maybe it will move on. Find new hunting ground. Either that, or it’ll starve in the forest.”  
“Yes, or it will turn to the villagers nearby. And then it will move it’s way up to here.” Uther said. “No, we have to think of something.”  
“Wait.” Clara said. “Doctor, you said they didn’t have a choice when they turned to stone, what do you mean?”  
“Well, it’s built into their biology like antibodies. You can’t control them, hell, why would you? That’s why they’re also called the Weeping Angels. If there’s more than one of them working together, they cover their eyes. If two Angels were to look at each other, they’d both freeze.”  
“Ok, so, what if it looked at itself?” Clara suggested.  
“What do you mean?” Uther asked. The room turned to Clara.  
“Well, if this things ‘stone’ defense is instinct, if you show it it’s own reflection, then it should freeze.”  
Everyone fell silent. Then, the Doctor jumped into the air and kissed Clara on the top of her head.  
“Clara Oswald, you are brilliant. Why didn’t I think of that?” the Doctor exclaimed. Clara felt very proud of herself.  
“We’ll send riders out with mirrors at dawn.” Uther announced. “Arthur, go with them. If this creature is as formidable as the Doctor claims, then you will be needed.”  
“I’m coming with you.” the Doctor said. “You need someone with knowledge of this creature.”  
“I’m coming too.” Clara added.  
“No you’re not. It’s too dangerous.” the Doctor warned.  
“Just try and stop me.” Clara warned back.


	9. The Calm Before the Storm

Merlin was lying in his bed, pondering what the Doctor had said about the Angel. He knew how powerful a High Priestess was, so if they feared the Angels, that must make them a serious threat. There was only one person who would know of a way to defeat them. He got out of bed, and went down to the dark depths of the castle. He turned into the cave, and saw the Great Dragon waiting for him.  
“So, what brings you today, young warlock?” the dragon said.  
“There have been attacks, all around the outline villages.” Merlin explained.  
“Yes, I am aware of that. Why come to me now?” the dragon asked impatiently.  
“Because now we know what’s doing it. It’s an Angel. A Weeping Angel.” Merlin asked. The dragon looked shocked. He leaned down to get closer to Merlin.  
“Are you sure?” the dragon asked again. He sounded almost scared.  
“Not entirely, it’s just a theory of the Doctor’s.” Merlin admitted. “But in the chance that it is an angel, I need to know how to defeat it.”  
“The Angel’s are not like any creature you have faced before.” the dragon warned, now standing taller and larger. “They are older than knowledge itself. There is only one such spell that can destroy them. But it is powerful magic, perhaps beyond even you.”  
“At least let me try.” Merlin pleaded. The dragon stretched his neck upward, and breathed upon Merlin. Merlin felt knowledge enter his mind. The spell was indeed powerful. Merlin felt the weight of it’s power as it became part of his mind.  
“I take it you and Arthur plan to go in search of the Angel.” the dragon asked. Merlin nodded. “Then heed my warnings. Do not underestimate this creature. Even though you know how to destroy it, it is still a creature of unbelievable power and cunning. To beat it, you must equal that power, and outmatch it’s cunning.”

The next morning, Arthur had rallied a small number of knights, Leon amongst them, to ride out for the village of Helmsworth. The Doctor and Clara had a horse each. They rode with Arthur and Merlin at the front of the party. As they rode out of Camelot and found themselves deep in the forest, a feeling of dread fell amongst them. The Angel’s power was legendary, and even Arthur was afraid of combating such a creature. The Doctor was lost in deep thought. Even though every member of the party had brought with them a mirror, they still felt powerless. Like the calm before the storm, when you think everything is fine, but your instincts are telling you to run and hide. The silence of dread held for many a mile before Clara’s voice broke it.  
“Doctor, remember that messenger thing we found in the forest? Could that have anything to do with this?” she asked. She spoke in a whisper, so only herself, Arthur, Merlin and the Doctor could hear her. The Doctor, by now in his own world of thought, returned to the real world.  
“Oh, definitely. It’s happened before.” he said. “Sometimes people see an Angel and assumes it’s just a statue. They pick it up, put it a ship, and head off. The Angel waits, they’re endlessly patient if they need to be. They wait until everyone is asleep, and then they strike.”  
The group arrived in Helmsworth half an hour later. The village was quiet. The people who lived there had by now learned to stay indoors whenever possible. The party dismantled their horses. The Doctor gave his horse a few words of encouragement.  
“Where did you get a horse?” Clara asked.  
“Oh, it's a long story involving Madame de Pompadour and a 51st Century ship.” the Doctor answered. Before Clara could ask the Doctor any further questions, Arthur interrupted them to address the party.  
“OK, listen up. We’ve had a long and tiring ride. We’ll rest for the night, and in the morning, we’ll go into the forest and hunt this creature down. Remember, this creature is extremely dangerous. Do not go anywhere alone, and do not go anywhere at night. Leon, Merlin, you two take first watch.”


	10. Into the Lion's Den

The early hours of the morning were often a wonderful sight in Camelot. The sun shined through the leaves, the trees stood tall and proud, and in the autumn, the greenery was slowly turning all manner of colours. But the party did not have time for sightseeing. Arthur split them into 3 main groups of 4. One group were led by Leon. Another by the eldest and most respected knight, Sir Killian. The final four were Arthur, Merlin, The Doctor and Clara. They walked through the forest slowly, as they looked all around for any sight of a statue, to no avail. Still, they felt eyes looking upon them every second. As if the forest itself were alive and staring down upon them. Eventually, they found the remains of another party of knights. Two swords were abandoned and a cape was left hanging to a tree, the wind making it flow like a flag. Arthur kneeled to study the sight. Clara walked up to the tree. It was climbable.  
“Hey, could one of you boys give me a hand?” Clara asked. “If I can get up there, I may be able to get a better view of the forest.”  
“Good thinking. Here you go.” the Doctor replied. He held his hands to give Clara’s foot support. Clara grabbed a small yet strong branch and pulled herself up. All those years scaring her parents by trying to reach the top of trees was finally about to pay off. Her climb was interrupted by Arthur’s voice.  
“There were five knights. They camped here just for the night. No sign of where they’ve gone. What the Doctor says must be true. It makes it’s prey disappear. There was something else here, but it’s hard to tell exactly what. Whatever it is, it’s very light on it’s feet.” Arthur announced to the party. He followed the path the Angel left around the camp. It moved irregularly, as if trying to avoid the sight of its prey. But soon, the path led in one clear direction. “Clara!” Arthur shouted. Clara stopped climbing to listen. “It headed east. See anything in that direction?” Clara resumed her climb. She reached the top and looked towards the east to see a tall green mountain standing above the trees.  
“Yeah, there’s a mountain over there. Maybe that’s where the cave is.” Clara shouted down to the party.  
“Arthur!” Merlin shouted. He was kneeling near the edge of the camp. Arthur ran to join him. “Looks like one of the knights made a run for it. His tracks head off this way.”  
“When did you learn to track?” Arthur remarked. While Arthur and Merlin bickered, Clara looked around the forest. Then, as she looked north, she saw something looking at her peeking from behind a tree. It did not move. And it was completely grey. Clara’s heart froze, she stepped back and then she slipped. She held onto the branch for dear life. When she got her footing again, she saw the grey figure had vanished. Clara silently swore to herself and climbed back down with haste. She jumped off the final branch and the party turned to her.  
“I saw it.” she started, her breathing erratic. “The Angel. It was over to the north.”  
“Are you OK?” the Doctor asked. He walked up to Clara.  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Clara assured him.  
“OK, Leon, take your party to the east. See if you can find a cave in that mountain. Killian, head west. Look for the missing knight. Merlin, Clara, Doctor, let’s go and hunt that Angel.” Arthur ordered. Leon and Killian took their respective knights and marched in opposite directions.  
“Are you sure about splitting up, Arthur?” Clara asked.  
“There’s only one Angel.” Arthur explained. “If we split up, there’s a greater chance of at least one group making it out of here. Besides, we have it’s weakness.” He held up a mirror.  
“Oh yeah, let’s fight one of the deadliest creatures in the world with a piece of fancy glass. That makes me feel much better.” Merlin said sarcastically.  
“Shut up, Merlin.” Arthur said back. “Well then. Here we go, Into the lion's den.” And with that, Arthur withdrew his sword, Merlin drew a heavy breath, Clara straightened her jacket, the Doctor held his sonic screwdriver, and the group walked towards the north.


	11. Heading North

All four of the group maintained their silence as they walked north. Arthur was battle ready, his sword in one hand, in the other, a mirror. Merlin was battle ready too, but you wouldn’t know it if you only glanced at him. He had no visible weapon, not even a mirror, but his hands were anxious, and his eyes darted all around. Clara stayed in the middle of the group, feeling useless and worried her mirror theory wouldn’t work. The Doctor led the group with a serious look in his eye. The kind that told Clara to keep the jokes to a none. He was also holding his screwdriver up and pointing it ahead of him. The noise it made was irritating Merlin and Arthur.  
“What exactly are you doing, Doctor?” Arthur asked bitterly.  
“Angels feed off time energy.” the Doctor explained. “Not just that, a very specific type. Potential time energy. All energy gives off some sort of signal. If I we can get within about… 50 feet, I should be able to get a lock on the Angel. Follow it wherever it goes.”  
“That’s great, but does it have to make that noise?” Merlin sassed.  
“It’s called a sonic screwdriver for a reason.” the Doctor sassed back.  
“Uh, guys?” Clara said. “Maybe we should save this for when we aren’t in danger?”  
And with that, silence fell upon the group again. And then came doubt. Particularly on Clara. Why did they split up? Yes, it meant a better chance of the other groups making it back to the village, but it also meant the Angel could pick them off so much easier. And the group still felt they were being watched. It was a feeling none of them were a stranger too, but it wasn’t a good feeling. Clara moved nearer to Arthur, who still held his sword and mirror tightly.  
“What happens when it starts to get dark?” she asked.  
“We head back to the village.” Arthur replied, trying to calm Clara down. “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”  
“Wait a second.” the Doctor said. The group stopped. He held his screwdriver close to his ear. “I’ve got something.”  
“The Angel?” Arthur asked. He swung his sword, as if preparing for combat.  
“No, something else. A distress signal maybe.” the Doctor corrected. He pointed the screwdriver all around him.  
“Maybe it’s the ship that messenger came from.” Clara suggested. She and Merlin were looking all around.  
“Quite possibly.” answered the Doctor. “I’VE GOT IT!! Follow me. Stay close.” He ran to the north-east, the rest followed. They ran at great speed, the Doctor leading them the whole way. They needn’t have worried about losing him. His trenchcoat could be seen from space. He ran and ran until he stopped in a clearing. There was a large oak tree near the middle of the clearing, but was nothing else. “I don’t get it. According to this, we’re right on the mark. The ship should be round here somewhere.”  
“Maybe it’s camouflaged.” Arthur suggested. As the Doctor messed with his screwdriver, and Merlin and Arthur looked in all directions, Clara was acting very strangely. She was jumping up and down like a child, and stomping on the ground methodically. The Doctor was the first to notice.  
“Uh, Clara. What are you doing?” he asked, looking confused. Clara had never seen the Doctor confused before.  
“Checking the ground.” Clara replied. She kept stomping and jumping as she talked. “My parents took me on a walking holiday every year. I know the ground beneath my feet very well. Especially in woods. And this ground feels-” she jumped again. “-hollow. And it’s in a definite shape. A square or a circle, I think.” As Clara continued to stomp around, Arthur thrust his sword into the ground. He placed his ear on the hilt and tapped the blade.  
“She’s right, the ground is pretty hollow. There must be some sort of cave under there.” Arthur confirmed.  
“Hang on, it’s a square round there, but it seems to be going in a tunnel of some sort over here, heading away from-” Clara started.  
“The tree?” the Doctor interrupted. He looked the tree all around.  
“Yeah, how did you know?” Clara asked. The Doctor loved to do this. Keep something to himself so he sounded smart.  
“Just look around you.” The Doctor said. “This little part of the woods is tree free, all except for this giant oak right here.” He walked round the tree, striking it methodically. Arthur caught on and assisted him. Eventually, the Doctor found a spot that sounded different from the others. He grabbed a gap in the tree and pulled. Like a door, the tree opened. The group looked inside. It was pitch black. The Doctor pulled a switch on his screwdriver and it lit up like a torch. He shone it and found a mess of abandoned barrels, weapons, chests and coins. He also saw a few old fashioned torches. Merlin walked towards them.  
“lieuas sta.” he chanted. The torches lit up. He took one and handed the others to Clara and Arthur.  
“Show off.” the Doctor said. He looked around and found a chest less dusty than any of the others. He opened it and found a strange glowing cube. It was like disco lights on a square. “Well, this is the distress signal. Whoever was on that ship must have fled in here. Wherever here is.”  
“It’s a smuggler's den.” Merlin answered. “It’s where smugglers stash anything before they take it over the border. It’s also a very handy place for hiding yourself if anyone comes looking for you.”  
“Or something, in this case.” Clara corrected.  
“There’s the path Clara mentioned.” Arthur interrupted. He pointed towards a tunnel leading deep into the den. “Nice work finding this place. Even Camelot’s finest would have struggled.” Clara grinned to herself. The Doctor walked ahead, just to the beginning of the tunnel. It went on further than his light reached.  
“Shall we?” the Doctor said. And then he walked forward, with the others closely behind.


	12. A Shadow in the Dark

The hot summer air of the surface was not to be found in the tunnel. It was cold as a winter’s night. Clara regretted not bringing any more layers. If she didn’t have a torch she’d have frozen by now. As they walked through the tunnel, it wounded and turned and twisted. But it kept to a single path. The Doctor kept walking ahead. His screwdriver was perhaps not as warm as the torches, but it’s light reached further down the tunnel. Merlin and Clara kept in the middle. Clara sometimes reached for a hand to hold. It was a childhood instinct she never grew out of. Merlin noticed it after a while and grabbed her hand. Clara felt just a little bit safer. Arthur kept to the back of the group. Every once in awhile, he would look behind him, checking if the Angel were sneaking up behind them. The path just kept going and going, it never stopped.  
“How long is this thing?” Clara asked. Her feet were starting to get tired.  
“Smuggler’s tunnels can be several miles long.” Arthur answered. “They keep piling up and they keep needing more space. But more importantly, why would an Angel hide in here? How did it even find this place?”  
“That’s simple enough.” the Doctor interjected. “It must have followed the survivors from the shipwreck down here. It’s perfect for an Angel. No sunlight, no living things to slow it down. Up there, we’d be looking for a shadow in the daylight. Down here, we’re being hunted by a shadow in the dark.”  
“Thank you, Doctor. I feel so much better.” Clara said, her sarcasm clear as day. The group continued the walk in silence. The pathway was starting to become wider. Eventually, they found a wooden door. The group stopped. Arthur walked to the door and tried to open it. It wouldn’t budge.  
“This is going to take a lot more manpower than we have at our disposal.” Arthur admitted. “It’s probably close to night by now. I say we head back out. Regroup, get some sleep, and come back here tomorrow. Hunt it down then.”  
“Good idea.” the Doctor agreed. None of the group had any objections, so they all turned in unison.  
Then they saw the Angel in the torchlight. It towered over them, fangs and claws piercing and arms outstretched. Clara was barely a centimeter away from it when she turned. She screamed and backed up.  
“We’re trapped. What do we do?” Clara asked quickly. Everyone was starting to panic. The Angel’s dead eyes stared at them endlessly.  
“Everyone, shut up. And listen very carefully.” the Doctor shouted. The tunnel fell silent and the Doctor’s voice echoed through it. “Three of us are going to try and barge this door down. One us needs to keep a mirror faced to that thing.”  
“I’ll do it, You three just try and get that door open.” Clara said. She had never wanted to be so right in her entire life. She held out the mirror and held it so that it faced the Angel. The Doctor and Arthur both barged the door with all their strength. Merlin did not. He looked straight into the Angel’s dead eyes. He’d seen many dangerous creatures and bested the power of a High Priestess. A moving statue with fangs wasn’t going to get the better of him.  
“Don’t just stand there, Merlin! Help us out! Magic it open or something!” Arthur shouted as his shoulder started to hurt from the strain. Then, they heard something echoing through the tunnel. It was wind, powerful wind. Maybe powerful enough to eliminate their torches. The Doctor kneeled to sonic the lock, despite knowing full well it didn’t work on wood. Despite holding the mirror firmly in hand, Clara kept her eyes wide open. She felt tears develop and her eyes become itchy. She needed to blink, but she didn’t dare to close even a single eye. She only took her eye of the Angel when she saw Merlin’s hand stretch out. He held his palm open and his fingers wide. Somehow, Clara knew what was going to happen.  
“percutiam angelus apud ignis” he chanted in a whisper. Clara saw no magic, but she felt something in the air leave Merlin’s hand and fire at the angel at great speed. But the angel remained as still and frightening as ever. “percutiam angelus apud ignis” Merlin said louder, as if to give the spell more power. Yet again, the angel remained unmoved.  
“Don’t bother, Merlin.” the Doctor shouted desperately. “As longs as it’s a statue, nothing can harm it.” That sentence gave Merlin an epiphany.  
“Arthur, how far away is that wind?” he asked loudly. The wind was even louder now.  
“Best guess, about 30 seconds. If it takes out our torches, I dread to think what would happen.” Arthur answered. The strain of barging into the door endlessly was clear in his voice.  
“Don’t worry about that, just get the door open.” the Doctor shouted. The barging of the door and the howling wind filled the tunnel. Merlin counted down in his head.  
“Whatever you’re planning, I hope it works.” Clara stated. She kept her grip on the mirror firm and reached for Merlin’s hand. Merlin grabbed it again and held it tight. The Doctor, by now given up on the door, grabbed Clara’s other hand and pulled them both back against the door and shone his light against the Angel.  
“No, don’t. Turn that light off.” Merlin shouted.  
“Are you insane?” the Doctor replied.  
“You said it yourself, it can’t be killed as a statue. If we wait for darkness, maybe the spell will work.” Merlin explained. No one could think to argue. They knew it was their best option. The Doctor turned off the light. The Angel was nearly glowing in the firelight. The wind’s eternal howling grew louder as it sped through the tunnel towards them. Merlin drew a heavy breath, Arthur gripped his sword closely, and the Doctor and Clara held each others hand, waiting for the inevitable. The wind was barely 5 feet away, and Merlin was ready.  
“PERCUTIAM. ANGELUS. APUD. IGNIS.” he shouted at the top of his lungs. At the word ignis, the wind hit them and their torches went out. Darkness fell upon them.

 

“Is everyone alright?” the Doctor asked after several seconds of silence. He turned the light of his screwdriver on. Clara was holding onto him for dear life. “Hey, Clara, we’re OK, we’re OK.”  
“Where’s the Angel?” Arthur asked. The group all stood up. They looked to where the Angel was, but it had vanished. The Doctor’s light looked all around until it fell on a pile of dust on the ground. He kneeled to study and sonic it.  
“This is the Angel. Or what’s left of it. It’s destroyed. But, that shouldn’t be- that’s impo-” the Doctor said. For the first time in his countless years of traveling, he was speechless. Clara meanwhile, looked closer at the door, and noticed something.  
“Uh guys?” she said. The three boys all looked to her. Clara reached for the handle, turned it, and pulled. And the door opened without a problem.


	13. Epilogue

The morning sun was glowing in the distance and the trees were greener than ever. The perfect backdrop for a race. The Doctor rode upon his trusted steed (which wasn't even his, technically), as did Merlin and Arthur. Clara, however, borrowed a stallion off of one of the knights. Despite Clara and the horse being strangers, they sped ahead of the competition. Clara felt the warm air and cool wind rush past her as her horse gathered speed. The others were falling further behind as Clara threw caution to the wind and motivated her steed to go as fast as it could manage. Clara's hair flew like a flag behind her until she reached the end of their path and suddenly stopped. The horse stood on his hind legs for a moment, as if showing off in victory before standing proudly. The Doctor was heard shortly behind on his white horse. Merlin and Arthur, it seemed, had delayed slightly.  
"When did you get so good at riding a horse?" the Doctor asked as his steed stopped by her side.  
“Our school was a few streets away from the stables. Parents couldn’t stop me even if they wanted to.” Clara explained. “Where are the other two?”  
“They took a longer path. They wanted to see who was the better rider.” the Doctor said. Clara and the Doctor both dismounted and listened closely. They heard a gallop in the distance. As the galloping grew closer, they heard two distinct horses. But which rider was ahead? Sure enough, it was Arthur who approached them first. He looked as cocky as ever. Merlin was close behind, but he looked exhausted.  
“What’s the matter, Merlin? Can’t handle a race?” Arthur asked mockingly.  
“You cheated. You took the longcut before I did.” Merlin retorted, gasping for breath.  
“Always with the excuses, Merlin.” Arthur retorted back. “Well, it’s been a pleasure meeting you, Doctor. And Miss Oswald. I had no idea you were such a good rider.”  
“You have no idea.” Clara replied. “And the pleasure was all mine. Your Majesty. Merlin.”  
“Goodbye, Clara. Doctor.” Arthur said back to them. Clara and the Doctor both nodded.  
“Race you back.” Merlin said as he caught his breath. He whisked away and Arthur quickly followed. Clara’s horse sped off with them. The Doctor and Clara walked the rest of the way. Clara took over walking the horse. The Doctor paced in a manner Clara could read like a book.  
“Something’s bothering you, what is it?” Clara finally asked, tired of the silence.  
“Magic. How can it be real? That wasn’t just some trick, he killed an Angel. That’s supposed to be impossible.” the Doctor admitted.  
“Are you annoyed because for once, you don’t know something?” Clara asked, looking amused. The Doctor said nothing. “The science teacher, at my school. He says that if humanity knew everything, we’d have nothing to strive towards. No goals, no ambition. We’d just stand still. Sometimes, it’s better not to know something.”  
“You just made that up didn’t you?” the Doctor asked. He saw right through Clara’s facade.  
“Yep, I did. It sounded good though, didn’t it?” Clara asked back. Soon, they reached the TARDIS. The Doctor sent his trusted horse back to wherever he lived by himself. Clara sat on the TARDIS controls. The Doctor stood by her side, fiddling with the controls. “So, what now?”  
“Well, I could take you home.” the Doctor suggested. “You could relax, go to work, carry on with your normal life.”  
“Yeah, I guess that would be the smart thing to do.” Clara agreed. A silence, then they both laughed. “How about we go and see a Queen concert?”  
“Oh yes! Love Freddie Mercury! Fantastic singer. Though, looking back, I think he fancied me.” the Doctor said, grinning like a schoolboy. Clara and him both grabbed separate levers. “Shall we?”  
“We shall.” Clara replied. As if thinking along the same wavelength, the Doctor and Clara pulled their levers together and the TARDIS flew away.


End file.
